Two weeks until the 10th Reuse It event in Morinville

by Morinville News Staff

Morinville and Sturgeon County are inviting their respective residents to the 10th Reuse It or “Loose It” event, a twice-yearly opportunity to clear out usable items that are no longer needed or wanted free of charge.

The event was started by community volunteers in 2013 as an environmental initiative. Over the past five years, it has succeeded in its mission to keep usable items out of the landfill.

The Town of Morinville sees the program’s secondary benefits as the redistribution of wealth and keeping communities tidier. As many unclaimed items as possible are redistributed when the event is over before the rest are taken to the landfill.

“In honour of the community support for this event, we want to celebrate,” said Cynthia Wandler of Reuse It or “Loose” It in a media release Thursday. “The Town of Morinville will be organizing a tree and shrub planting event for October 5. Details including location and time will be promoted once confirmed. In addition, at the Reuse It or “Loose It” event itself, we will be accepting Morinville Food Bank donations and raffling off gift baskets of eco-friendly products.”

The event typically has 15 volunteers, many of whom have been with the event since its beginning in 2013. Since that time, 3884 vehicles have come through the ball diamond gates where the event is held.

In addition to Morinville and County residents accessing usable goods, the event helps a number of local organizations, including The Father’s House Church Youth Group, the Gibbons and Bon Accord 4-H Clubs, Value Village, and the Morinville Food Bank.

Once again this year, residents are encouraged to bring any unwanted/split plants for others to take home as part of the plant swap.

Items not accepted at the event include mattresses, booster seats, and car seats.

A complete list of event rules can be found at: www.morinville.ca under calendar of events.

The event takes place Saturday, Sept. 22 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Skyline Ball Diamonds (10510-107 Street) Item drop off starts at 9:00 a.m. and ends at 2:30 p.m. There is a collection service for residents with mobility issues.